The military-industrial complex comes to Canada
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. Over half a century has passed since U.S.…
Bill Longstaff
The Saudi tail and the American dog
That Israel is the tail that wags the dog of American Middle Eastern policy is a given. Often, however, we overlook the fact this particular dog has two tails. The…
B.C. ‘s "textbook example" of good climate policy
High praise indeed from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In a recent speech, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría praised B.C.’s carbon tax as being “as close to a…
Progressive Alberta
Seemingly in defiance of Alberta’s reputation as a very conservative province, voters in Calgary and Edmonton both elected young, progressive mayors yesterday. Calgary elected the 41-year old Naheed Nenshi for…
Where will all the scientists go?
In a new book about the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal, The Oil Man and the Sea, author Arno Kopecky relates his attempt to interview Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)…
What would Lesus do?
Sorry folks, I couldn’t resist it. A set of gold, silver and bronze medals commemorating the first year of the pontificate of Pope Francis, produced by the Italian State Mint,…
Save the songbirds—curb your cats
I have always been a dog man myself. Cats … well, they can be cute and cuddly, but whereas dogs seem to belong with us, I have always found cats…
Judge likens Alberta government to Duplessis regime
The tar sands gang does more than muzzle scientists. It also muzzles environmentalists. This came out loud and clear in a recent case before Alberta’s Court of Queen’s Bench. Last…
Help Saudi women get behind the wheel—sign the petition
In an apparent attempt to demonstrate that there is no limit to the idiocy of Saudi Arabian misogyny, a Saudi cleric has explained why women should not be allowed to…
Global warming will be long with us
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calls it the “greatest collective challenge we face as a human family.” He is, of course, referring to climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on…
Americans support Keystone
Prime Minister Harper was talking tough about the Keystone XL pipeline this week. On a visit to New York, he told the Canadian American Business Council that he wouldn’t take…
Why has Canada failed Omar Khadr?
The first responsibility of the state is to protect its citizens, particularly its children. The Canadian state has utterly failed that responsibility in the case of Omar Khadr. Omar was…
Buying Calgay’s civic election with a little help from Preston Manning
Alberta’s election funding rules are notoriously weak. Those applying to municipal elections are no exception. The essentials can easily be summarized: no spending limits, contributions limited to $5,000 a year…
The New York Times bashes Canada’s science-bashing
Is it just my imagination or is Canada’s international reputation slipping into the sewer? The question seemed particularly pertinent this morning as I read an editorial in the New York…
Be happy, be an atheist
I couldn’t resist a chuckle over a study reported in the October issue of the journal Psychological Medicine. The study, entitled “Spiritual and religious beliefs as risk factors for the…
You’re making progress, Francis
After two doctrinaire popes, it’s a pleasure to have one who puts mercy ahead of dogma as Pope Francis did this week. In an interview with La Civilta Cattolica, the…
Greece—1930s redux
When Europe sank into depression in the 1930s, politics polarized. The far right became more appealing to some, the far left to others. One reassured people by harking back to…